Grenade fuse



i atenteci July 28, 1953 UNTE GRENADE FUSE company Application September 15, 1950, Serial No. 185,030 In Luxemburg July 28, 1950 5 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to a detonator assembly for grenades and other similar devices comprising a striker plate.

Detonator assemblies of this kind at present in use present the disadvantage that they provide no guarantee of safety in the case when the body of the detonator assembly is broken. This disadvantage arises mainly from the fact that the apertures for the passage of the safety pin or bolt provided in the cheeks or flanges of the body of the detonator assembly are located more or less in the immediate vicinity of the edges of these cheeks or flanges.

The object of the present invention is to obviate this defect and also to permit the possibility of using material such as Bakelite for the manufacture of the body of the assembly and consequently to diminish the cost of manufacture, to decrease the weight, and to permit the assembly to be reduced to powder in the case when it is applied to an offensive weapon.

' With the above object in view the detonator assembly according to the invention is characterised by the feature that the rotatable striker plate is provided with means which prevent its rotation and subsequent percussion in the case when the body of the assembly is broken.

the practical application of the invention, this plate comprises one or more folds, flanges, vanes, ribs, or brackets in which are provided apertures for the passage of the safety pin or'bolt which thus traverses not only the checks or flanges of the body of the assembly, but'also these folds, flanges, vanes, ribs-or brackets, etc., in

order to prevent the rotation of the plate and subsequent percussion in the case when the body of the detonator assembly is broken.

In order to enable the invention to be better understood one form of embodiment is hereunder described, this form being given solely by way of illustration and being in no way limitative.

In the drawings: I r I a Figure 1 is a view in elevation and partly in sec tion showing the detonator assembly; 1

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the striker plate and a part of the assembly before percussion; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the body of the detonator assembly and the striker plate after percussion.

In the drawings, reference numeral l denotes the body of the detonator assembly, 2 is the striker lever, 3 is the spindle for. rotation of the striker plate 4 and is under the action of a spring 5 which is wound around the spindle 3.

iii)

Reference numeral 6 denotes the percussion cap, I the fuse, 8 the casing nut, 9 the detonator proper and ID the casing proper.

In accordance with the invention the striker plate 4 is provided with vanes H which are pierced by holes I2 through which in the locked or safety position passes the safety pin [3 which also passes through holes I4 pierced in the cheeks or flanges of the body I.

The pin l3 forms in known manner a buckle or loop 15 around a ring it and is extended by a rectilinear limb ll substantially parallel to' the pin l3 and bent over so as to form a hook l8 engaging under the end of the pin I3. The pin I3 can thus be withdrawn by a twist imparted to the ring l6.

After withdrawing this pin, the lever 2 is easily freed when the grenade is thrown and the striker plate then performs its rotary movement around the spindle 3 under the action of spring 5 while moving from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3 in such a way as to produce the explosion of the detonator through the fuse.

The principle of the invention consists in the feature that in the locked position (Figure 2) the pin l3 traverses the flanges of the body of the detonator assembly by means of the holes I4 and also passes through one or more elements forming a part of the striker plate thus considerably increasing the degree of safety since when the body of the detonator assembly becomes broken there is no danger of percussion, this being prevented by the pin [3.

Another important feature of the invention is that the holes M are provided in the cheeks or flanges of the body of the'detonator assembly at a location such that they are substantially removed from the edges of said cheeks or flanges, thereby eliminating the well known danger that the .pin l3 might be removed by being pulled off in the pouch of the soldier. This danger exists in known devices due to the fact that these holes are located near the edges of the checks or flanges.

As is shown by the drawings, the holes I are provided in the cheeks or flanges of the body at a location lower than the spindle 3 and at a position which is offset in the direction of the casing [0.

It is to be understood that the vanes II with which the striker plate is provided may be replaced by a single vane and that the invention includes any form of striker plate which permits the plate to be traversed by the pin i3 and to be '5 held in the locked position even if the body of the detonator assembly is broken.

An advantage of the invention is that due to the higher degree of safety provided by the construction, the body of the detonator assembly may be made of a plastic material thus reducing the cost of manufacture.

What I claim is:

1. In a grenade fuse, in combination, a body containing an explosive charge, mutually parallel integral flanges forming a portion of said body and having therein oppos ing ly located holes, a short shaft rotatably supported by and between said flanges, a striker plate. rotatably mounted on said short shaft, a spring wound under tension around said shaft so as t cause said striker plate to rotate, at least one vane provided on said striker plate and pierced by one hole, said vane extending in a plane perpendicular. to the body of said striker-plate, a safety pin having a p r on pa sin hro i hole aid wil p te wine a d thr u h said ppo in h of said body flanges, a finger ring, said safety pin forming. a 1001 around a peripheral portion of said ring, a rectilinear limb forming one side of and being substantially parallel to the first-d e scribed portion of said'safety pin so as to constitute. an extension thereof; said limb being bent over at the free extremity thereof so. as to, form a hook enga in mdsrf e e d h first" scribed por io oi sa dpi i s h t the o k can be disengaged and the first-described portion ofsaid pin can be withdrawn through all said holes. by a twist imparted to said ring 2. In a grenade fuse, in combination, a body containing an explosive charge, mutually parallel nt a fla es io r i x s QEQi I Said bod-Y and having, the ei op osingly located holes, a short shaft rotatably supported by and between d n e s r ko ate r ia 'aio y mount d on said shor ham a spr s ro nd ll n: sion around said shaft so as to cause said striker plate. to rotata. two, substant ally parallel vanes formed integrally with said striker plate and both lyin in pianos noiosi o o i ei' to h 99m.- Qi a str ke Plato. both. sa ast-s 9 1 D s a will? opp si s d po od holes. saioir' s haying a or ionftloer oipa s ng. b gh bfo said mi s. n a s r kor. a s d t u h a PP oliis. i a bo y a ges a. n r, ng ai safety pin form n a oo u d a eriphera porti n of: said; ring a o i i 'ear mm, forming ne side. oi eing i st illiz a a s to. the first-de scribed portion ofsad safety pin, so a to. o p wis an oxtons th on. sa d. im being b int overlat the free extren 'ty. thereof so as to form a hooko s n i d t f sli thefirstd'esoribe Dortionof sa dp l squ nt t s oofi n befdis s se id he 'fi tj-de oij' od portion of said pin can be withdrawn throughall saidholes by a twist imparted tosaid ring,

"3. In a grenade fuse, in combination, al body on ain n n xpl siv c a ge mu al y. par an integrarfianges. forming a port on. of said body andhaving therein opposingly locatedholes, osl Qr jslia .rot tably supp r d by. and. otwe s ttin s t ke Plate. o a ablt mo t on said short shaft, a; spring wound under tension around said shaft So as to 'causesaid, striker. plate to rotate, at least one vane provided on, said str k r. late nd i o d y. one.- a d veils extending in. 2, plane perpendicular t o the body of; sa t ker lat as r inhay n a ort on passing throu h said h l in a d; striker. plat vane andthroughsaid.opposinsholes of saidibody flanges, a finger ring, said safety pin forming a loop around a peripheral portion of said ring, a rectilinear limb forming one side of and being substantially parallel to the first-described portion of said safety pin so as to constitute an extension thereof, said limb being bent over at the free extremity thereof so as to form a hook engaging under the free end of the first-described portion of said pin, so that the hook can be disengaged and the first-described portion of said pin' can be withdrawn through all said holes by twist imparted to. said ring, said holes opposingly located in said body flanges being situated at respective distances from all free edges of said body flanges, of the same order of magnitude as the distance between said body flanges, whereby to minimize the possibility of accidental and unintentional wrenching away of said safety pin.

4;, In a. grenade fuse, in combination, a body containing an explosivie charge, mutually par- 1. 1 integr fl n es o m a P r i i-sa body and having therein opposingly locatednoles, a short shaft rotatably supported by and between sa a s, a strik r pla s rotatabl m in Said Short h f a spring wo nd was $1011 around said shaft so as to cause saidsltrik er pla t o t wo subs ant all parallel vanes i r e nte a y withsaid str ker lat -a id o lying n p an s p rpendicular to. the bo y oifsaicl s k r la e, both s id. anes be n lotted. with p sit ispo d holesfa sa ti in'ha a portion thereof passing through both: said in said striker plate and through qbposjlil g holes o aid. ody flanges, a. fin er riiisl. an e y o ing, a l op around. a eripheral. port o of sa d. s, a r oi near' limb. form n one side of and being substantially parallel tr be r onv oi s id. safety 'pin. so. as. o oo st ut an. ext ns on thgreof, aidiifmblb' st e t r t the re g tromit t oreo'f was to form a hook engaging under the, free end. 6;: the first-described portion of said so that h hook. oa be disengag d and iltfirst-idei f P io s ld his oaii. be W hdrawn th ou h l said ho s b r. twist. imnartedtp, said rin said. vanes f med. int grally wit said striker being positioned in respsctiv Planes iaiitia y Par lle o t r lnciive'ii lan s Wh ohs i od f flanges 1ie-.

5- i a gr nade s i ooin a oa. boos; ooo am ns a explo i charge. m tual y p. il l nte al anges for in ab t on-. .4 o y i -r s n rio oiapos os was miss a h rt ha t r amrsiwnomd a d. b i n id. fian fiso s ri s r: P ati. iatatly io sio i i d. h r haf 2% s n oi i under t n around said shaft soto. can v I P at s oi ia. t o si bsiani o m di i es a lx w his id ii. lying n. p anes. m cron o t o di striker late h s iiiv. oppositely disposed holes, a safety, '5 p rtion. h o passin throushs otosa h l in Said k Pla o, nd rou h, aid. posin hol s isai bod ansssi. a i so in sa sai t in. o m n ooprousal; a pa sh i portion of said ring, a rectilinear, limb, forming ne ide nd. b u stan iall ara-Homo ir iir sscr bodportio oi a d ftmpi soias constitute an extension thereof, said; b nt v r a h ree. tre ty th reof soiasi or a k. n a i under the. freeendioi the first-described portion. of said pin, so. that; the hook can be disengaged. and, the. first-described portion of r said. p n can bei-withdrawn through-all said holes .by a twist imparted to said ring, said References Cited in the file of this patent vanes formed integrally with said striker being UNITED STATES PATENTS positioned in respective planes substantially par- Nuinber Name Date 31 8 a re spect1ve p In Whlch scoville t 3 flanges he, said holes opposmgly located 1n said 5 1 307 684:, L m J 24 1919 body flanges being situated at respective dis- 2412636 i g 1946 tances from all free edges of said body flanges of 0 the same order of magnitude as the distance between said body flanges, whereby tominimize the possibility of accidental and unintentional 10 wrenching away of said safety pin.

ALBERT FERNAND MARIE DIELS. 

